Start Seeing Diversity: Creating Art

“A picture is worth a thousand words, but a poem is worth a thousand pictures…”
John Carder Bush

Below are photo images of what diversity mean to me, as well as, a beautiful poem I found online on diversity and inclusion written by Charles Benafield (2012).

       

 

I Am Diversity, Please Include Me

I ‘m present in every place you go

Depending on your lens I’m friend or foe

I’m a force to be reckoned with

Like the winds of change I move. I’m swift.

I’m present when two or more are together

If embraced I can make the good even better.

I’m not limited to age, gender, or race.

I’m invisible at times and yet all over the place.

Don’t exclude me due to a lack of knowledge

Welcome me like the recruit fresh out of college.

Let me take my seat at the table

Even though I may be differently able

My experience, my passion the authentic me

Can help add value for your company.

Learn about me; improve my underrepresentation

And I can provide a competitive edge to your entire nation.

I exclude no one I am strengthened by all

My name is Diversity and yes I stand tall.

Recognize me and keep me in the mix

Together there’s no problem that we can’t fix.

I am your best hope towards true innovation

And to many, I reflect hope and inspiration.

Your lives and companies will continue to change

Thus the need for Diversity and Inclusion will also remain.

Do all that you can to truly embrace me

And experience life’s fullness totally

I’m the thought lurking behind the unfamiliar face

I’m the ingenuity that helps your team win the race.

I’m the solution that came from the odd question that was asked.

I stand out in the crowd when I, Diversity, am allowed to be unmasked.

I’m diversity embrace me and we’ll journey far.

I’m Diversity include me and we will reach the shining star.

Coupled with Inclusion our lights burn longer

Together we are smarter, better and stronger

I am Diversity

Yes, that’s me

Reference

Charles Bennafield (2012)  I Am Diversity- an outstanding poem

  Written for the Conference Board Diversity Boot Camp Spring 2012

Photo Credits:  Google

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

There was a time when I witnessed an adult reprimand a child after he pointed out someone they saw as different.  I was standing in a check-out line at a grocery store behind a lady who had her little boy sitting in her shopping cart.  The little boy, who appeared to be three or four years old,pointed at the young man bagging the customers’ groceries and said out loud “Ugh! Nasty!  Look at that stuff on the back of his neck!”  The little boy’s mother responded by spanking his hand until he cried.  She angrily said to him “Don’t do that.  That’s rude!”  She seemed to be more embarrassed than the young man.  In fact, the young man seemed to be annoyed at the lady for spanking the little boy.  He looked at the little boy and smiled saying “It’s Okay.”

The young man had a keloid scar formation on the back of his neck just below his hair line.  It was a huge growth and anyone would have noticed it.  The message that might have been communicated to this child by the adult’s response was that this was a shameful thing that the young man had and it was bad to notice it or say anything about it.

An example of how an anti-bias educator might have responded to support the child’s or classroom’s understanding would be to explain, “The young man has a skin condition called keloid.  It is not nasty and it is not contagious.  Some people may not know that they have this condition until their skin is cut, burned or pierced.  Sometimes, there is a family history of developing keloid scars.  Keloids are not harmful to your health and can be treated or surgically removed.”  Afterwards, the teacher could ask if there are any questions or if they have seen anyone else with a growth on them that was similar to the young man’s.